NUS today (29 July 2009) responds to a report by the Women and Work Commission that calls for action for fairer pay and opportunities for women, NUS Women’s Officer, Olivia Bailey, said:
“This report is a stark reminder of how much there is still to be done to close the gender pay gap. This is a particularly important reminder, today, with the recession threatening to push women’s pay back even further.
“We welcome a number of positive recommendations included in the report which we hope are taken forward. We welcome, in particular, the recommendation that the Department of Children, Schools and Families produce a national strategy for tackling gender inequality in the education system. We also welcome plans to better hold employers to account for their equalities practice, as well as the training they provide to women.
“However, we believe that the report should have taken a more holistic approach to the wide range of causes of the gender pay gap. For example, the report does not adequately address the causes and impact of discrimination in the workplace.”